2nd Family - Eldersburg

Pros

• The caregivers are kind, consistent, and caring.
• The staff are responsive and supportive to both clients and families.
• The scheduling app is easy to use and flexible.
• 2nd Family feels like a second family, with caregivers who become part of the family.
• Camille is one in a million and goes above and beyond in caregiving.
• Skyler Skidmore is a dedicated CNA who truly cares for patients.
• The office team is friendly, attentive, and compassionate.
• The care teams are punctual, professional, and reliable.
• The organization is well managed, empathetic, and highly recommended.
• The care provided brings comfort and relief during challenging times.

Cons

• The company is horrible.
• They send out whoever they want, resulting in many different caregivers in a short time.
• There is a language barrier that prevents the client from interacting with the caregivers.
• The promised consistency of caregivers never materialized.
• Caregiver schedules are changed at the scheduler’s whim, without considering staff or client.
• There are many empty promises.
• The company is accused of hiring inexperienced, untrustworthy caregivers, with owners described as greedy and mean-spirited.
• A caregiver reportedly fell asleep on duty in front of the client for two consecutive days and ignored the client, spending time on her phone.
• There is a security concern about wrong addresses and an incident of someone looking under the doormat for keys to break in.

Review

2nd Family - Eldersburg is best suited for families seeking genuine in-home elder care with a “second family” culture, especially when dementia or mobility challenges demand daily living support and meaningful engagement. The community shines for households that want a compassionate, people-centered team that can tailor activities, routines, and safety checks around the senior’s preferences. Caregivers are described as patient, interactive, and capable of providing reading aloud, music, reminiscence, and photo-focused activities that help preserve identity and mood. The nursing component and care coordination offer reassurance during transitions from hospital or rehab, and the administrative side is known for mobilizing resources quickly when needs shift. For families who prize flexibility, scalable care (including 24/7 CNA coverage as needed), and a support network that can coordinate with VA benefits and other services, this option delivers a practical, reassuring path forward.

Those who may want to consider alternatives include families prioritizing absolute consistency and rigid caregiver assignments. Reviews reveal variability in caregiver turnover and scheduling, sometimes multiple aides rotate in a short period, and late or rearranged shifts can disrupt a routine. Language barriers and differences in caregiver experience levels surface in several accounts, suggesting that households with highly specific medical or linguistic requirements may need a stronger promise of a dedicated caregiver or a more controlled staffing model. For families that cannot tolerate turnover, or for those seeking a highly predictable daily calendar with minimal onboarding time for new aides, other providers or facility-based settings may be preferable. The aim should be clear alignment on who arrives, when, and with what skill set before onboarding proceeds.

The most compelling pros relate to the quality of care and the responsiveness of the team. Numerous families report aides who truly connect with loved ones, delivering not only essential ADLs but also companionship, light therapy through conversation and guided activities, and consistency in routines once a stable roster is achieved. RN oversight and a strong administrative backbone ensure that care plans can be adjusted promptly when needs change, and a well-regarded care portal keeps families informed about who is covering shifts and what tasks were completed. The ability to tailor care into a comprehensive package, adding moving assistance, PT/OT, transportation, and other supportive services, reduces the friction of coordinating multiple vendors. In practice, core caregivers and coordinators become dependable anchors during challenging periods, with several staff members singled out for exceptional, nearly family-level commitment.

On the flip side, the main drawbacks center on staffing consistency and scheduling transparency. Families note that caregivers often change, sometimes with little notice, and late starts or mid-shift alterations can impose personal scheduling challenges for families and patients. While many caregivers are praised for warmth and competence, a few reviews point to younger staff lacking life experience for complex needs, and one or two instances of miscommunication or misalignment between the caregiver, the family, and the scheduling team. Cost discussions also surface, with questions about minimum hours and the breakdown of hourly rates; some families feel the process could be explained more clearly up front. Security and logistical concerns appear in outlying reviews, underscoring the importance of verifying addresses, scheduling, and caregiver verification at onboarding. Taken together, these cons are not insurmountable, but they demand proactive, explicit agreement on caregiver assignment, scheduling rules, and cost structure.

To offset these drawbacks, it pays to approach the relationship with clear, structured expectations from day one. Demand a primary caregiver or a small, consistent back-up team and insist on written confirmations for any schedule changes, with explicit notice timelines. Require detailed conversations about language needs and clinical competencies, and push for a defined cadence of caregiver introductions and refreshers to avoid onboarding fatigue. Leverage the family portal and the nurse coordinator to track assignments, shifts, and care outcomes, and insist on upfront clarity about rates, 12-hour minimums, and any min-hour policies before committing. If the VA or other benefits are involved, keep a dedicated point of contact (such as the Summer/office liaison) to walk through benefits, billing, and coverage so there are no surprises. Finally, consider a structured trial period with a fixed schedule to verify compatibility before extending care to longer arrangements.

The bottom-line verdict is practical and decisive: 2nd Family - Eldersburg is a standout option for families seeking responsive, compassionate in-home care that can scale with changing needs and deliver a true “second family” experience. It excels when the emphasis is on empathetic caregiving, dementia-appropriate activities, and coordinated nursing oversight, all supported by flexible scheduling and a user-friendly care portal. However, prospective clients should actively manage expectations around caregiver consistency and scheduling transparency. For households that require near-guaranteed, unchanging staffing or a more regulated facility environment, exploring alternatives, whether another home-care provider with stricter staffing guarantees or a traditional assisted living facility, will likely yield more predictable inertia. The recommended path is to engage early with the office team, secure a dedicated coordinator, and use the care portal to align expectations, then embed the chosen care plan within a defined trial period to ensure it truly fits the senior’s evolving life.

This part of Eldersburg, Maryland offers a variety of amenities that cater to seniors looking for convenience and entertainment. With several cafes such as Starbucks and French Twist Cafe nearby, residents can enjoy leisurely outings with friends or family. The proximity of restaurants like Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen and Chick-Fil-A provides easy access to dining options. For healthcare needs, there are multiple physician offices including Northwest Hospital Primary & Specialty Care Center within a short distance. Nearby pharmacies like Walgreens and Martin's Pharmacy offer convenient prescription services. Residents can also enjoy outdoor activities at parks such as Freedom Park and Piney Run Park. Additionally, the area is home to the AMC Owings Mills 17 theater for those who enjoy movies or entertainment outings. Overall, this part of Eldersburg offers a mix of amenities that cater to the needs and interests of seniors looking for a vibrant community to call home.

Cafes

• Starbucks (0.2 miles)
• French Twist Cafe (3 miles)
• Panera Bread (9 miles)
• Tous Les Jours (10.2 miles)
• Starbucks (10.4 miles)

Restaurants

• Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen (0.2 miles)
• Seafood Legend (0.3 miles)
• Burger King (0.4 miles)
• McDonald's (0.4 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (0.8 miles)
• Basta Pasta (2.2 miles)
• E W Beck's Pub (2.9 miles)

Physicians

• Northwest Hospital Primary & Specialty Care Center (0.3 miles)
• Family Medical Associates (0.9 miles)
• Clinical Associates (7.3 miles)
• Katzen Eye Group (7.3 miles)
• Koman Orthopedics and Sports Medicine (7.5 miles)
• The Physicians Pavilion At Owings Mills (8.4 miles)
• Richard J Kuntz (8.4 miles)

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (0.6 miles)
• Martin's Pharmacy (0.8 miles)
• Rite Aid (7.7 miles)
• Walgreens (7.8 miles)
• Wegmans (8.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (8.9 miles)
• Jason Pharmaceuticals (9.3 miles)

Parks

• Freedom Park (2.4 miles)
• Piney Run Park (2.9 miles)
• Northwest Regional Park (5.9 miles)
• Mayeski Park (6.4 miles)
• David Force Park (8.5 miles)
• Patapsco Valley State Park (10.8 miles)
• Landon C Burns Park (10.9 miles)

Hospitals

• Bon Secours Health System (5.5 miles)
• Westminster Nursing and Convalescent Center (10 miles)
• Lifebridge Health (10.6 miles)
• Carroll Hospital Knit Building (11.1 miles)
• X- Ray Room (11.1 miles)
• Carroll Hospital Center (11.1 miles)

Places of Worship

• Greater Baltimore Temple (6.7 miles)
• Bridgeway Community Church - Owings Mills/Reisterstown Campus (7.1 miles)
• Trinity Lutheran Church (7.9 miles)
• Mt Airy Bible Church (9.1 miles)
• Crossroads Community Church (11 miles)

Theaters

• AMC Owings Mills 17 (7.8 miles)